NOTE: for District 5190 RYE Forms and Complete Inbound and Outbound Program information, go to: www.RYE5190.org
What We Do and How We Support the RYE Program in Practice
Host Families are our most important focus
Host families who decide to participate in our RYE program are volunteers who can see the value in having a foreign exchange student stay in their home. These students become part of the family with all the rights and responsibility as their own children. If there are children in the home, these young people also see how valuable it is to learn of other cultures and the potential for going out on exchange themselves.
For each student, we need three host families throughout the year. This gives our students a broader experience and allows them to be a part of and to influence more families in the community. As a result, the hosting of a student is not overly burdensome, lasting for three to four months only.
Foreign Exchanges Students enjoy the U.S. for a year
Rotary clubs from around the world sponsor students from the ages of 15 to 18-1/2 years old for a year in another country. The U.S. exchanges with countries in Western Europe, Central Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and Latin America. The students involved in the RYE program serve as ambassadors for their country and community while they immerse themselves in a new culture.
Inevitably, these students end up making lifelong friends in our schools and community from the experience including their new families, friends and fellow students. But additionally, there are many benefits experienced by the host families, Rotary clubs, schools and communities who share this experience with the RYE student as well.
RYE Outbound Scholarships
Students between the ages of 15 and 18-1/2 are welcome to apply for an outbound exchange experience. We open the application period in late August – early September. If you want to be reminded, send an email to email TMRYE and we’ll contact you when the application period opens for the 2015-2016 exchange year.
Studies have shown that there are numerous benefits to study abroad that confirm there are significant gains enjoyed by the students participating. For more information on this program, go to www.RYE5190.org.
Rotary Youth Exchange Counselors are well trained volunteers
RYE Counselors are very well trained to do the job they enjoy as student guardians and they make commitments to ensure that the students are safe and are aware of the regulations and procedures they must follow. The students are responsible for making sure that the students are enrolled in school with the help of the host families, that they get their monthly stipend, and that the move to the next host family goes smoothly.
Acting as their first point of contact, the counselor is the problem solver and cheerleader for the student, making sure they have a successful exchange and acting as the liaison between the student, the school and the host family through their Rotary clubs.
Rotary Clubs in Reno, Sparks and Incline Village
There are eight to nine Rotary Clubs participating in the RYE Scholarship Program each year. Each club contributes to the student’s well-being and financial needs through the TMRYE Committee. A club will sponsor one or two students and that student will involve themselves with the Rotary Club’s activities throughout their year of exchange.
By associating with a Rotary Club, the RYE students – both inbound and outbound – are learning the value of Rotary’s service to the community and as well as their international projects and activities.
Washoe County School District Welcomes Exchange Students
In the Truckee Meadows and Incline Village, the public school district is Washoe County School District. There are several school choices for our students to attend. The schools where we have placed our students include: Galena High School, Damonte Ranch High School, Reno High School, Wooster High School, McQueen High School, Reed High School, Spanish Springs High School and Sparks High School.
We also place a student each year at Sage Ridge High School. In order to place a student at a particular high school, we must first find a host family in the school zone for that high school. This is why our host families are so important to us – they are the trigger for all activities related to RYE students.
Truckee Meadows Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarship Program
The TMRYE Committee is responsible for managing the needs of Rotary Youth Exchange students and host families that are based in the Truckee Meadows: Sparks, Reno and Incline Village, Nevada. Rotary Youth Exchange is a program that is sponsored and supported by Rotarians who volunteer their time and energy to ensure that the RYE Students who come to our area can achieve these three goals:
- That the students are safe and secure during their stay in the U.S.
- That these students have a wonderful and successful exchange.
- That the Rotary Youth Exchange program is protected and in compliance with the certifying agencies and the government.
A message from our 2015-2016 Inbound Rotary Youth Exchange Students: